Slow-motion test

I have tested the slow motion feature on my camcorder because I want to use the feature in my music video. I felt that the slow motion feature was reasonable good but it slightly lacks in quality, but I have found that using in lighter area it helps improve the quality of the shot.

Lip Singing

This is my first attempt at lip singing for my A2 media course, for the song Lego House by Ed Sheeran.

Locations list

The locations that I will be using for my filming are:

1. Guest House (for Bedroom Scene)
2. Park (for artist singing scene and also part of the story)
3. Basketball ( for artist and friend playing scene)
4. Car (for part of story scene)
5. Stage (for artist performing scene)

*All these locations are within Swanage town, Dorset except the stage scene which will be filmed at school.

Props List

Lego
Bed
Lamp
Sofa
Guitar


*If there are any other props that I decide to use I will add them at a later date

Crew List

Me (camera-man)
Josh (Ed Sheeran)
Tim (mate in video)

Lyrics for Lego House by Ed Sheeran

I'm gonna pick up the pieces,
and build a lego house
if things go wrong we can knock it down

My three words have two meanings,
there's one thing on my mind
It's all for you

And it's dark in a cold December, 
but I've got ya to keep me warm
and if you're broken I will mend ya and keep you sheltered from the storm that's raging on now

I'm out of touch, I'm out of love
I'll pick you up when you're getting down
and out of all these things I've done 
I think I love you better now

I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind
I'll do it all for you in time
And out of all these things I've done 
I think I love you better now, now

I'm gonna paint you by numbers
and colour you in
if things go right we can frame it, and put you on a wall

And it's so hard to say it but I've been here before
and I will surrender up my heart
and swap it for yours

I'm out of touch, I'm out of love
I'll pick you up when you're getting down
and out of all these things I've done 
I think I love you better now

I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind
I'll do it all for you in time
And out of all these things I've done 
I think I love you better now

Don't hold me down
I think my braces are breaking 
and it's more than I can take

And if it's dark in a cold December, 
I've got ya to keep me warm
and if you're broken then I will mend ya 
and keep you sheltered from the storm that's raging on, now

I'm out of touch, I'm out of love
I'll pick you up when you're getting down
and out of all these things I've done 
I think I love you better now

I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind
I'll do it all for you in time
And out of all these things I've done 
I think I love you better now

I'm out of touch, I'm out of love
I'll pick you up when you're getting down
and out of all these things I've done 
I will love you better now

I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind
I'll do it all for you in time
And out of all these things I've done 
I think I love you better now

I'm out of touch, I'm out of love
I'll pick you up when you're getting down
and out of all these things I've done 
I will love you better now

Permission letter

Dear Permission Holder,

I am an A-level student studying at Shebbear College and I am writing to ask permission to use the song Lego House by Ed Sheeran.

I will be using the song to create a music video, which is part of my current A2 course in Media Studies I will also be creating a poster and digi-pack of the artist.

The song will only be used on a educational purpose and the final video will be posted on my Blog and Youtube. If there is any copyright issue please inform me of any, also any other information that I need to know  or problems with this request please respond.

Looking forward to your reply,

Many Thanks

Christopher White

Chosen Song

I have now finally decided on what song I am going to use for my music video. My chosen song is Lego House by Ed Sheeran. The next step for me now is to create a storyboard and I have also decided that my music video is going to be Narrative based.

I have a few good ideas for my music video;
1. Use stop motion (this is for the build of the Lego house)
2. Use slow Motion
3. Use extra lighting and special effects for flashback

In my music video I want to ensure that I have more than one idea, as have only one idea makes it boring and makes it look bad.

Equipment List

The equipment I will need to films is:

1.Camcorder
2.Tri-Pod
3.Camera
4. LED lights
5. Computer
6. Mp3/CD

These six items are the majority of equipment that I will need for the filming of the music video, if there are any extra I will add at a later date.

Analysis 3 Music Video's

I am going to analyse three music videos which are similar to the music video which I will be creating for my A2 media course:

First video I will be analysing is No Regrets by Dappy

 

   

Though looking at the characteristics of the music video you can tell that it is of an R&B genre, as it uses the typical form and conventions of this genre. Also through the mise-en-scene urban culture is portrayed in the video e.g. the suburb of America and other typical representations of urban culture.

Throughout the music video there is a strong connection between the visuals and the lyrics, for example Dappy is acting like he is the narrator because the camera keeps going from him sing to the story in the background, at one point he is also sitting down in the door way with the story which he is telling in the background.

Throughout the music video Dappy seems to like using fades to edit cuts because this has what he has done through the majority of the video, this is also a feature of the typical form and conventions of an R&B genre based music video.

Towards the end of the music video there is a representation shown between the visuals and music and this is the piano solo. This occurs as the piano solo begins. For the camera work they have used a mid-shot of the piano. The choir is also another representation between the visual and the music.

Here is some of the camera shots used: Close-ups, mid shots, two man shots, establishing shots, long shots and over the shoulder shots. The most common shot used is close-ups, and the majority of the close-ups are of Dappy, this also is a typical representation of an R&B based music video. This is done to please the audience because this is what they want, to see the artist up close and personal like he is there in front of you. This is also used as a promotion tactic for things such as clothing.

Many of the camera shots are of the artists so that it 1. Pleases the targeted audience and 2. Shows you what he looks like. Basically the music video is based around the artist being the main point of focus.

The second video I will be analysing is The A Team by Ed Sheeran.

 

This video also has certain characteristics which follow the forms and conventions of an R&B based music video. The music video has a narrative structure, which is told in a circular narrative way, this means that the video starts at the end. The video is shown from someone else's prospective, watching her life.

 
The mise-en-scene suggests that the girl is unfortunate as she has very tatty clothing which is dirty and ripped i.e. her tights are badly tarn. Through the representation of her clothing you can tell that girl has very little money, in actual fact the only bit of money that you seem to have in the video is money that she is using to buy drugs.

There are also other indications through the mise-en-scene that suggest that the girl has no money, for one, she is seen sleeping on a bench and two, the only type of income for her is selling the big issue or prostituting herself.

The use of close-ups on the girl along with the lyrics make you (the audience) feel sympathy for her. I would say that the target audience for this video would be for age 13-25. The whole music video is shot in black and white, this gives it a dull feeling and brings out the sympathy you feel for her.

The third and final video I am going to analyse is You need me, I don't need you by Ed Sheeran.

The music video consist of certain characteristics that suggest it is R&B/Pop genre based which follows the general form and conventions of this genre based music video. The video is very simple as there is not much to it and it is all in black and white.

The link between the lyrics and visuals are mainly shown through sign language, but at times flashing objects appear on the screen which make the song and the video connect. For example he says "I live on a couch" and then the video quickly flashes to a couch.

The main camera shots that are used in the music video are extreme close-ups, close-ups, mid shots and long shots, most of the shots are focused on the guy doing the sign language. These shots have been used so that the audience is draw to focus on him. Throughout the music video there is no real clever editing or nothing really special for effects etc.

Throughout the whole music video there are only two shots of the artist playing the guitar, this is only a flash. This is unusual as in most R&B/Pop/Hip-Hop music videos the artist is the main focus. But for Ed sheeran it's not as this is also been done in another one of his music video which I analysed earlier (The A Team).

Overall I feel that the music video is a bit basic with no many special effects or edits, but it’s good enough as it appeals to it targeted audience. I feel that there is good use of the mise-en-scene and the lighting.

  

Categories of Music Videos

The three main categories of music video are:

• Performance based videos
• Concept based
• Narrative based videos

Narrative based music videos have a storyline to them, which it follows throughout the entire video. Two good examples of a narrative based music video are Hero by Enrique Iglesias and Love Song by Taylor Swift.

Narrative Based Videos - has a storyline, it usually follow the storyline throughout the entire of the video. Good examples for a Narrative based music video would be Hero by Enrique Iglesias and Love Story by Taylor Swift.

The music video 'Hero' by Enrique Iglesias was directed by Joseph Kahn. Enrique is portrayed as the 'Hero' who sacrifices his life to save the life of his loved one.

The video starts off with him driving off in the distance with a snapshot to the bag full of cash on the back seat, this suggest that he is probably on the run. Shortly after this scene his word are "would you run, and never look back" this is another hint that he is on the run.

This video has been done very well as in the lyrics it say "would you die for the one you loved .....hold me in your arms tonight" at the end of the video she is indeed holding him in her arms.

Later on in the video his has the choice to give his life for his loved one or let her die, being the hero he chooses to save his girlfriend’s life.

The director has used several different camera techniques, like soft focus for the love scene, this is to give it a more dramatic feel.

The video had a western American feel, as the main conventions of this was followed. Conventions such as dessert setting, bag full of American dollar and the American roads. This setting helps attract a larger audience. 

 The music video Love Story by Taylor Swift (directed by Trey Fanjoy) starts off with her and this guy meeting on the campus of the university and picturing themselves in a past era. She keeps having flashbacks of them two in a previous era.

The story follow the basic outline of shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, but concluding with a happy ending unlike the tragic ending of Romeo and Juliet.

Throughout the hole video, the camera alternates between Taylor swift singing in an archway and then her and her boyfriend in a previous era and as the lyrics unfold so does the story. At the end of the video it goes back to the present era of them two together in the university campus.

The director has used artificial lighting and soft focus to add extra feeling to the love story between the couple.

Concept based - doesn't have a storyline, it usually based around a single concept or idea, the type of videos are generally unusual or apply specific technique. A good example of concept based would be Christina Aguilera - Dynamite.

The music video for Dynamite by Christina Aguilera starts of with her in a spaceship traveling to some kind of mystical city, then it changes to Christina Aguilera dancing with lights in the backgroundand then a huge fan in the background. After this she has magicly turn into a comic character, these three ideas are repeated throught the rest of the music video. 

Performance based - These type of music videos usually show the artists or band performing the song, some at a concert or some sort of studio setting. A good examples for a Performance based music video is We Will Rock You by Queen.

The whole video is made up of shots showing the band performing the song. It is all shot outside on some sort of stage with snow in the background. The only real change throughout the video is close-up of each individual band member.

The camera shots that have been used are mainly close-ups and wide shots; there is also the use of cut-in and mid shots.

Low angle shots have been used a lot in the video to show the power they have through their popularity.

How to create a music video

Here are some videos on how to create a music video, including setting up lighting and tip on how to make your music video look professional. Also how to edit your music video and preparation of a music video.







Goodwin and Mulvey theories

I found this two presentations online at slideshare, I found it very helpful and easy to understand. Mulvey's theory has help me to understand how sexist some films can be, female emotions are only seen in  'chick flick' or 'romance' type films, which are mostly about love and drama. Goodwin's theory has help me understand the relationship between the lyrics, music and visuals, also the different techniques used to attract the target audience.

Mulvey's Theory

What is the Gaze?
The Gaze concept is how you as a audience view people presented in the media.

A feminist can be thought of in three ways:

• How women look at each other
• How men look at women
• How women look at themselves

In 1975 Laura Mulvey created the term 'Male Gaze', this was because she believed that film audiences have to view characters from the view of a heterosexual male.

Features of the male gaze:

This is the idea that the camera focuses on the curves of a women body, and how different events that happen in films are largely in the perspective of a man's reaction. Also how women are lowered to the status of an object.

Mulvey Theory

Laura Mulvey

View more presentations from broadleythomas6027

Goodwin’s Theory

Goodwin's Theory

The Goodwin’s theory suggests that there are three types of relationships between the song and the video.

1. Amplification – this is where the video introduce fresh meanings which don’t contradict the lyrics, but instead add layers of meaning.
2. Illustration - this is where the video is tell the story of the lyrics, it can often be used in dance to express feelings and moods.
3. Disjunctive - This is where there is very little connection between the video and the lyrics or when the video controdicts the lyrics.

An example of a Illustration music video:

This is a good example of Illustration as the video follows the story of the artist lyrics. Also the mood of the song is conveyed in the video. As the mood changes so does the tone which shows that it is a good example of Illustrations. 




An example of Amplifaction music video:

     

This is a good example of Amplifaction as the lyrics can be understood in the video, the theme of the video is her getting locked uo in prison and then trying to get out, this doesn't have much connection with the lyrics but it doesn't contradict them. The most obvious link between the lyrics and the video is when she says "hey sexy boy set me free", this is when in the video she is locked in the cell and is talking to the police guard sitting outside the cell asking him to set her free.


Example of Disjunctive music video:

This video has very little connection with the lyrics, it is quiet random as the video is about them completing in a rowing competition and ending up losing. The lyrics of the song are about Take That the band when they broke up, how it was a disaster to their fans. When they got back together the band was stronger and they had even more fans than before.
  

Ideas for my music video

This is a list of possible songs that I may chose for my music video:

No Regrets - Dappy

The A Team - Ed Sheeran                                                    

You Need Me, I Don't Need You - Ed Sheeran

Fast Car - Tracy Chapmen

Im Yours - Jason Mraz

Incomplete - Conor Maynard

Day 4

Today was the last day of films, it was mainly spent going over bad clips, also last minute ideas were thrown in to improve the final video. I believe that we all felt that it went reasonable well with a few mishaps at the begining.

Day 3

Today we spent going over all the bits of filming that we didn't fill worked. Today unlike yestaday we had a lot better understanding of what we wanted to do and how it would looked. Also we tried to get different angles and shots to compare them to others we had already filmed. This meant that by the time we were ready to edit it and put it all together we would have lots of different clips to chose from. 

Day 2

Today was the first proper day of filming, using the three camcorders we managed to get some good footage. Towards the end of the lesson we looked at the footage and decised that the accompanment players should be scrapped as it didn't work.

Day 1

Today is the first day of filming, the majority of the lesson was spent playing around with the sound and the lighting, the lighting took up a lot of the time as we had to chose the right colours to go with the song and also we had to get it in time with the music.

Karaoke music video

This week we will begin to start filming are karaoke music video, the song we chose is dog days are over by Florence and the Machine. We have decided that the location for are music video will be the new hall as it has good natural lighting; it also has a stage with lighting which will help with the mise-en-scene.
We are going to be using three Panasonic camcorders with an 8 mega pixel lens; this will mean that the quality of the music video will be reasonable good. Two out of three camcorder will be handheld and the third will be on a tripod, the reason we have used two handheld camcorders is so we can get different angles and shots whist still filming.

Production

The article Production Tips 2.0 by Pete Fraser was very helpful, the tips that I found very interesting were Avoid the obvious, which are different things that he feelsyou  should try and avoid as they are used too regally, and group work, which is were he says everyone should take part and take reponsibility of the project.
By far I found the music video karaoke idea the best as it will help a lot toward the music video which I have to create. He explains that it helps you get used to the needs of a perfomance and multi-angle set-up.   

Storyboard

This was a rather poor attempt at a storyboard. But even though it wasn't brilliant it became very helpful when putting are thought's and idea's into a story.

video

This is the video that we are meant to follow;

what we are doing

For my A2 preliminary task I will be working in a group of three to create a video, which involves creating a story through the use of a storyboard and also adding words from several different songs as part of the dialogue.